Thursday, January 12, 2006

Is your health at risk?

I am totally flabbergasted by the fact that making an appointment to see a dermatologist is almost impossible. Since moving to this new area of the metroplex, I thought I would try to find one nearby. I called several only to hear, "I'm sorry we do not have a waiting list or cancellation list and our next available appointment is not until the end of March." Call after call, not one could see me. Then I remember that I saw a dermatologist regularly, who is in the area, about four years ago so I gave her office a call. Surely, I can get in since I am an established patient, I thought. Even though it was several years ago, most Doctors keep your chart and allow you to come back at any time without waiting months! As I spoke to the receptionist she told me time and time again that she could not find my name. "Are you sure you saw Dr. Black?" she asks. "Yes, I am positive." Then she asks for my social and finds my name! "Okay, Ms. Hayes what will you be coming in for?" I explain that I have a mole in question and I really feel it needs to be checked out. As she searches for an appointment she then tells me this. "Okay, I can get you in on February 1st but she will not have time for a full body check, only that one place."Taken back by the delivery of her statement I then say, "So if there is any other little spot I am questioning, am I not allowed to ask her about it?" She says, "Well, you can but I need to know now." Now at this point, even though the receptionist was a little quirky, there was no way I was going to change my mind about going to this Doctor.This Doctor I really liked four years ago and all the other doctors can't see me anytime soon so I'm gonna go with this sassy receptionist and give her what she wants. "Well, there is one other place that I may be a little worried about.""So you have two places you need checked?" She asks. "Yes." "Okay, well I have you down for February 1st at 10:30am." Now that I have that taken care of, I pray that my mole in question is nothing serious and I pray that the two weeks I have to wait to see the Doctor will not be detrimental to my health.

At times I walk around carrying many things that are detrimental to my health, spiritual health. I should have had them checked a long time ago but didn't. Sometimes I carry around worry about a problem, sometimes I carry anger towards someone, sometimes I carry a grudge. I am sure you can think of different things you carry around. The longer you carry it, the more you risk your health.

God desires for His children to be healthy. How can we guide others towards Him if we can't forgive? How can we show someone how God provides and how He takes care of our every need if we ourselves are worrying? How can we show others the peace and joy God provides if anger rules our lives? The more we carry, the more we are useless, ineffective, incapable of showing Jesus to the many in our lives that need Him.

As I search my heart, I know the things that I have to have checked. Otherwise, my health is at risk and I can't move any further. I don't want to wait to weeks. I don't want to get on a waiting list, I want to take care of it now. I no longer want to risk my health.

3 comments:

Amanda, you are sooooo cool!!! you have such a way of making us think!

FEAR, FEAR, FEAR, that is what my mole is! Sorry to keep harping on it, but I'm trying to face up to the fact I have a problem. Isn't that the first step, facing up to it? I keep going to my "doctor" and he tells me what to do to heal it, but I have a hard time applying the "remedy". Thanks for always putting things in perspective!Love ya!!!